Coming Up On The Inner Wheel

A Progressions Refresher course is available for those who have taken Progressions One in the past. More details soon.

Looking forward to talking with you all again!

The Gyre is up and running again. New features will be announced shortly.

APRIL 2014

PROGRESSIONS ONE begins scheduling March 4th. The seven lesson class will be followed by part one of THE DARK GODDESS, which goes in depth into the four major asteroids Ceres, Juno, Vesta and Pallas and, as an antidote, the Black Moon Lilith. This will be followed by PROGRESSIONS TWO later in the summer and The Dark Goddess part two (both involving synastry) in the early autumn.

In Summer there will be another offering of Three for Three--three short term classes running simultaneously. One will be another session of Deep Cuts running in tandem with a refresher course for Progressions for those who would like more practice. The progressions refresher will also include transits and timing of major events. The third three part class is TBA.

Two courses are in development for autumn and winter of next year: one on astrology and alchemy and another on astrological imagery in Shakespeare. Stay tuned for more details.

Earlier News 2012, 2013:

The NASA probe "Dawn" has just sent back the first pictures from Vesta, a strange and wonderful place. You can see them here:

http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00003128/

All Things Healing is picking up my four part series on The Music of the Spheres for the month of August. The pieces will appear each week beginning Friday the 5th for four weeks (www.allthingshealing.com). Thanks to Patricia Lantz, their hardworking astrology editor!

Details for Progressions Two: Progressions in Synastry will be up soon. Stay tuned!

June 14th:

Thanks to Patricia Lantz, astrology editor at All Things Healing.com, for picking up my recent articles on the Saturn/Progressed Moon cycle. If you haven't taken a look at All Things Healing recently, please do. There is a lot of helpful information there about everything from healthy recipes to finding alternative practitioners. It's worth taking a stroll through all the quality information they have on offer.

June 12th:
Very honored to be mentioned in Mary Plumb's round-up of astrology blogs in the new edition of The Mountain Astrologer. I've been reading TMA for many years and seeing my name there is a bit of a surreal treat. Thanks for including The Inner Wheel, Mary!

June 3rd:

Happy to announce that The Inner Wheel is way up at number 11 in the list of "Best Astrology Blogs" according to Alexa ranking. Thanks, everyone, for returning and making it so popular. I'm in stellar company. Let's see if we can crack the top ten...

I'm absolutely delighted to pass on a report from one of my students and friends, Neeti Ray: the NASA spacecraft "Dawn" (whoever heard of such a thing?) has just entered into the orbit of the asteroid Vesta. One for the synchronicity books. Affirmations from the universe...

New Section Soon: Archetypes in Action

Archetypes in Action will consist of random musings on the reflection of astrological signs and symbols in daily life.

The signs and houses of the Lunar Nodes provide the meat of our story, but we need more. It’s impossible to tell our story without the actors. A lot of nodal interpretation is going on these days that takes just house and sign into consideration. But without the nodal rulers, without the detail, we really won’t have a clue about where we’ve come from or where we’re going. It’s like being told that Hamlet is about a guy in Denmark who hates his uncle. The nodal rulers are the ones who carry the detail and the deeper meaning of the story the Nodes are trying to tell, and give us a more accurate interpretation of just what it is we’re here to do.

Technically, the planet that represents the sign of the Node is not the ‘ruler’ of that Node, but I like the term ‘nodal ruler’ because it accurately conveys the type of power and influence that these planets have. When these planets are touched, either by progression or transit, the energy they convey is like an electric current that jolts our spiritual growth. Our nodal issues are newly awakened, and we deal with yet a new crisis or adjustment that causes us to face what we need to face, either through revisiting an issue that needs correction (South Node) or by manipulating us into new territory and revealing to us where our blind spots are regarding our own way forward (North Node).

Let’s take an example, simplifying the signs and houses for clarity’s sake. Say someone has an Aries South Node in the first house. Right off the top, we know that the conscious orientation of this person comes from a focus on Self. The conscious orientation of this individual is on his or her own wants, needs, desires. This is not considered, but is a direct and immediate response to stimuli—Aries can be as innocent as a child, just reacting to the environment in a direct manner, without considering the consequences. The honesty, directness and spontaneity of Aries is an admirable quality. Their leadership ability can be unsurpassed; they can be fearless. Also, we admire their impulsive generosity (once they get their own needs met) and sense of adventure and fun. However, the positioning of Mars will do a lot to define which issues surrounding this Aries South Node need to be corrected. It will also indicate where the South Node gifts might be. The South Node behaviours will generally fall into the house where the ruler (or rulers, if we are looking at old rulerships—and I consider both) lie.

A first house Aries South Node with Mars in the first house will probably knock you over with their Aries energy, even if Pisces is on the Ascendant. They have the ability to lead, whether they know it or not. (Aries leadership is more about the avant-guard, in literal terms the first ones over the line, more than it’s about the considered leadership of Leo.) Even if they seem like a dreamy Pisces, they will get what they want (perhaps by nefarious means, depending on how healthy Neptune is in the chart). They may look like they have their head in the clouds, and come off as gentle, artistic or spiritual, but they will be all about fulfilling the needs of the ‘I’. Moving away from this inner-oriented consciousness will be very difficult.

Most of us, to a certain extent, have some relationship with our North Nodes. Even though it’s unconscious, (whereas the South Node orientation is conscious and easier to grasp and relate to our individual lives) we have some instinct of what’s missing. If you completely identify with one polarity, the other, as well, will make itself known in some way, shape or form. Ultimately, our relationship with our South Nodes will begin to feel incomplete. We will sense that we are hollow in that area, that there is some degree of emptiness and lack of fulfilment, even if we can’t point out what it is. This is, ultimately, what drives us to our North Nodes.

But what takes us there? The incidents, experiences and house orientation relative to our South Nodes. Ultimately, for the first house Mars with the South Node in the first, the “I” will prove unfulfilled. We will wonder why our relationships keep failing. And perhaps, because of the ‘innocence’ of the Aries orientation, we won’t have a clue why. If Mars is in Aries in the first, the whole question of “me, me, me first” will be an issue. It’s also about taking unconsidered action. (I have a niece with Mars in the last degree of Aries. When she was small, she kept stealing knives out of the drawer in the kitchen and declaring, “Fix it, cut it”—or in her vernacular, “Ficshit, cull it.” She’d run around the house carving up stuff the minute anyone’s back was turned.) The emptiness at the heart of “I, alone” will eventually reach the Aries South Node and cause them to alter their behaviour towards partnerships of all kinds; in particular, romantic relationships will be a crucible and a testing ground that will ultimately alter not only behaviour, but to cause the Aries South Node to relate to the world at large in an utterly new way.

But compare this to another Mars position. If the Aries South Node is in the first house, and Mars is in the fourth house, what does that tell me? The “I” orientation is still the issue, and the inability to partner with any kind of equality that brings forward the issues of the Libra North Node in the 7th. Rather than Mars reinforcing the Aries self-orientation, Mars is now focused on the issues of the fourth. Here, the Aries South Node tells us a different story. Continuing the easy house positions, lets say that Mars is in the fourth house in Cancer. Rather than the “I” orientation being the sui-generis of the double Aries factor in the first house (rather like a ‘new moon’ type), we see that the “I” orientation has different roots. In this nodal ‘story,’ the “I” orientation is the result of the fourth house—conflicts, arguments, aggression and possibly violence (depending on aspects to Mars and the Nodes) stemming from the family relationships, possibly with the mother or other dominant home figure. This is very different from the first case. The selfishness and leadership inherent in this signature is a direct result of having to stand up for one’s self in a difficult family environment. (Alternately, Aries South Node can be the cause of the disturbance. The rest of the chart will tell you which is which.) There will, therefore, be inherent wounds stemming from the family situation which will have to be healed before the 7th house North Node will be able to be accessed. Aspects to Mars will only add more details to the story of “where have I come from?”

You can see how different the two are from a counseling point of view. The first needs growth from a basic consciousness that feels that everything is not only about me, but IS me. The second has had its relations with the world altered by a threatening domestic environment—so much so that our conscious interaction with the world is defined by this threat. Each needs a different path to guide them to a new way of negotiating with the world, with is what the North Nodes are teaching us. Both will have their interactions with the world altered through their partnerships, but the change will come by different means. It will also come at different times, via progression and transit. Good aspects to Mars will mitigate the difficulties. Stress aspects to Mars will accentuate them.

We could go on taking Mars through the houses, but I think the point is clear. The condition of the South Node ruler gives you the details of why we relate to the world the way we do via the South Node. You can take this, through aspects, as deeply as you want to go– you can have an anecdote or a short story or a novel. But without taking this in to consideration, you really won’t understand why the Nodes are so influential. Because they deal with our entire conscious orientation to life, (sometimes we call this a ‘mindset’) we can’t properly interpret transits or progressions or anything else in the chart without them.

The North Node works in a slightly different way, which we’ll discuss next week in Part Five.

Love your work on the nodes – always thought-provoking. I have South Node in Aries (9th), so this post interested *me* of course! I’m in the midst of many ongoing transits to natal Mars (27 Taurus) in my 10th (Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter). My career area needs change, but I’m still trying to sort out what to change it to (Mars in Taurus – not speedy, nor particularly ambitious).

Autumn
04.28.10 / 7pm

2

I love your information on the nodes as well! I have a Libra SN (conjunct asc) with its ruler, Virgo Venus (11th) this is part of a grand cross (chiron, jupiter, uranus). I feel like I have no other choice but to make growth my life’s purpose. Life can be pretty intense sometimes, I think part of that is due to Scorp Pluto (1st) with aspects, but I love the challenge! Look forward to future posts:-)

alcuin9
04.29.10 / 11am

3

Hi Leslee,

A 9th house Aries orientation is about going your own way, according to your own visions–listening to the sound of your own drummer. However, it can be a bit single-minded about it’s own beliefs and philosophies. The challenge of any North Node in the third is to better interact with the immediate environment; to get practical knowledge that’s real and from current experience. With Libra there, it’s all about learning that another’s experience is as valid as your own, and there may be more than one way of doing/thinking things.

alcuin9
04.29.10 / 11am

4

Hi Autumn,

Libra SN, particularly conjunct the Asc, can be too willing to compromise and make concessions to others. Your first house Pluto is an antidote for that. Your 11th house Venus in Virgo points to service to a group or cause and is very diplomatic. However, your North Node in Aries in the seventh is crying out for you to express your individuality in your interaction with others. Follow Mars and see where it leads you. (It will help you with Pluto as well–Mars and Pluto work together.)

joAnna
04.30.10 / 9pm

5

Hi Dawn, Thank you for the wonderful teaching! So…do we look at aspects made back to the node by nodes’ “rulers”? my NN is in Cancer in 7th. So I follow to my moon in Aries sitting on my IC—my moon squares my NN– within 6 degrees. (is that an acceptable orb?) My SN is in 1st and Asc is also Capricorn but the conjunction is well out of orb. Follow SN to Saturn in 2nd house in Aquarius–no major aspect back to SN although it is an exact semi-sextile. Thank you!

Autumn
05.01.10 / 12pm

6

So true! That has been something that I am constantly working on, expressing my individuality within relationships, I tend to lose myself easily. I also have Aries moon exactly conjunct NN.
It seems that Mars is a big planet for me, being the ruler of my DSC, NN, Moon, and it’s relationship with Pluto. I have a Capricorn Mars in the 3rd conjunct the IC and Neptune (Mars is in the middle). Also have Sag Uranus in the 3rd. I am still confused about the meaning of the 3rd house for me?

[…] Story of the Nodes, part five) For the earlier parts of this series, please see: The Story of the Nodes (part 4), Once Upon a Time (part 3), An Introduction to the Nodes, The Hungry Moon and Which Way […]

Sign Up for the Newsletter, The Widening Gyre

A new edition of the Gyre was just sent out. I'm happy to report that Mailchimp, my newsletter server, has just made it a lot easier to add graphics and content, so putting out the Gyre will not be as time consuming as it once was. There was a teaser for upcoming articles on The Dark Goddess.

The next edition will have an article on Sacred Earth, which looks at the mystical element of the Earth signs.

Spam filters are very sensitive these days. Please make sure that The Widening Gyre is allowed in yours.